I'm not perfect, and occasionally a typo sneaks into my article. If I'm lucky, a sharp-eyed and kind person will send me a private email or message to point out my error. If I'm not, a soulcrusher will post a snide comment such as, "Nice article. Too bad you can't spell."

Soulcrushers are everywhere. They tell 25-year-old subordinates they "don't have the presence" to present at a client meeting, instead of training the person to present with credibility.

Soulcrushers seem more concerned with killing ideas than in fostering them. They tend to be driven much more by fear than anything else.

Uh-oh...

There's just one problem. The soulcrushers aren't all those other people. You and I can be soulcrushers, too... at least when we are having a bad week, month, or year.

Much as I try to be positive, from time to time I hear myself shooting down an idea before it is spent two seconds hanging in the air. In my mind, I'm being practical. But what if I'm actually just killing an idea that bugs me?

Plenty of people reach out to me, and I try my best to be helpful to each. Some people instantly come across as brilliant, and it is easy to help them. But others require patience and understanding, so much so that occasionally I step over the line between being helpful and hurtful

For example, in email it is hard to tell the difference between constructive criticism and soulcrushing behavior. If I write, "You would enjoy more success if you got to the point faster," my message may come across as critical and mean.

But this is mild compared to what some people do. They actually relish the chance to rip someone apart.
The worst thing you can do is to confront these folks. They feed on negative energy. It is far better to simply observe them, recognize that their anger and negativity is probably rooted in suffering that deserves sympathy, and go on about your business.

• Never let a soulcrusher discourage you
• Never let a soulcrusher sap your energy
• Never get into a battle with a soulcrusher

Simply let them remind you that we already have too much negativity in our world, and resolve to be someone who will be relentlessly positive